Rubbed Raw (Triple Threat Book 2)
Page 36
His hormones seemed to rage out of control anytime I was near. I hoped it wasn’t a recipe for disaster. Maybe there was something to what they said about men and women as just friends being impossible.
He hugged me tightly. “I’m sorry.”
I could feel how hard his cock was against my thigh. My mind reeled with confusion. I wished I were ready to lose my virginity. He would probably be the best lover. He cared so much. He’d make sure I was OK. The thought of losing his friendship put the brakes on that idea quickly.
“Baby.” He was running his fingers through my hair. “Are you mad?”
I took a deep breath and put a hand on his waist. “No. Chad, you know I care about you, but… I just can’t lose you.”
“You won’t, I—”
Suddenly, I blurted out, “What about Dana?” It bothered me that he came onto me even when he had a girlfriend. Although I knew he held things back from them, it was confusing. “Does she mean anything to you?”
“Not as much as you do.” He took my face in his hands. “If you agreed to be with me, I’d never need anyone else.” He brushed his lips over mine.
I closed my eyes, understanding a little bit. He loved me, but he was lonely. It was better than him never leaving my side. He needed to have a life, too. I was between boyfriends, so I knew the loneliness. My last one dumped me because I refused sex.
“Chad! We’re here!” we heard shouted from outside.
“Fuck, man!” Chad groaned and reached into his pants. “They’re gonna tease the hell outta me for this.”
I got off the bed and turned away from him. “I’m sorry.”
“Hey, it’s not your fault.” He put his hands on my shoulders. “I gotta learn how to control my dick.”
We walked downstairs and through the house to the garage quietly. I could hear Daniel Brandt messing around with his drums. Chad’s mom, Valerie, let them go in through the house when it was cold out. She didn’t usually mind the noise from practices. However, she wasn’t thrilled that Chad spent his free time on music instead of working on his planned major in college, computer science. I knew he could handle both. He was the smartest person I knew.
I sat on a folding chair as Chad pulled his guitar out of its case. Watching them set up, I realized how diverse the group was. Andy Pierce, the singer, and Daniel were friends of Will, Chad’s older brother. Both of them were already 20 years old and in college. Phil Ferris, the rhythm guitarist, and Jay Morris, the bassist, went to high school with us. Phil was a sophomore and Jay was a junior.
It wasn’t just their ages that were different though. Like Chad, Andy had long blonde hair, but it was a bit wavy. At five foot seven, he was the shortest of the group. It didn’t seem to bother him though. He liked being frontman because he liked to be in charge. When Chad let him, that was.
Daniel kept his dark hair military short. He and Phil were both about just under six feet tall. Daniel was a nice guy, but sometimes he could be a jerk. In comparison, Phil was a real cocky bastard. He had a tendency to hit on women who wouldn’t look at him twice, including me. I never understood why they had him in the band. He could play, but he was mechanical, lacking any passion.
Jay was kind and smart, like Chad. Sometimes they had conversations that went way over my head. He was close to Chad’s height, with dark skin and his hair fashioned into a mohawk. They say you have to worry about the quiet ones, but he never gave me a reason to.
Reckless played a style that was hard to define. It was nu-metal crossed with metalcore for the most part. They had a few hard rock songs as well. Andy had a decent singing voice. It was quite unique, raspy from smoking for years and deep.
“I found the perfect rhythm guitarist,” Chad said to Andy, as he looked at me and winked.
I wrung my hands and hoped they accepted me. There were all-girl bands in our high school, but that was not the same. Joining Reckless would change things, hopefully for the better.
I closed my eyes for a few seconds and imagined playing for a crowd like Gasoline attracted. Suddenly, Tommy Fischer, their bassist, came into the vision. He was playing right next to me. Then he leaned forward and kissed me.
“Wait. I play rhythm,” Phil countered, jolting me out of my fantasy.
Andy scowled. “Why the fuck d’you keep making decisions for all of us?”
Chad ignored Andy and laughed. “Sorry, man, but you suck. We need a roadie anyway.”
“Fuck that, man!” Phil put his guitar on a stand. “You can’t just bring some guy in here after we been working all these months.” He paused a few seconds. “Hey! What’d you mean, I suck?”
Daniel was twirling a stick as he sat behind the drum set. “Well, you do, dude. None of us wanted to tell you. Guess Chad finally got the balls.”
“If we wanna play gigs, we gotta sound good,” Jay added.
Phil sat down and pouted for a minute then asked, “So where is he?”
Arms folded over his chest, Andy glared at Chad. “Yeah, where is he? Phil’s replacement could at least be on time.”
Chad grinned. “She’s here.”
“Crystal?” Andy asked. “You gotta be shitting me!” He quickly doubled over with laughter and couldn’t stop.
Daniel sighed. “We can’t have a girl in the band. No one’d take us seriously.” He tapped a cymbal. “Unless she’s gonna play naked.” His eyebrows rose.
Chad glared at Daniel for a few seconds then turned to me. “Baby.” He handed me his guitar. “Blow them away.”
I smiled widely and got in position to play. I took a deep breath and started Gasoline’s “Devil’s Boy,” playing the lead line.
When I was done, the garage was completely silent. Everyone was staring at me with their mouths open. Including Andy from the floor, where he had fallen. I grinned, more proud of myself than I had ever been.
“How the hell did you do that?” Daniel broke the silence.
Chad beamed. “She’s amazing. Ain’t she?” He kissed my cheek. “See, baby girl? Told ya.” He had never been so excited.
“I know.” I looked up at him towering over me. “You taught me well.”
Phil jumped up. “So, what’re you guys waiting for? She kicks ass! Tell her she can play!”
Andy stood up and came over to Chad and I. “I’m sorry I laughed at you.” He held his hand out. “Welcome to the band.” Obviously, he’d let go the fact that Chad pushed me on them.
I shook his hand as excitement filled me. “Cool, thanks.”
“Now let’s play ‘Fuck ’Em All.’ “ Daniel hit a snare drum. “Phil, give her your guitar.”
Phil stood up. “Get the hell outta here! I get kicked out, and she plays my Gibson. No way!”
“I got mine right here.” I walked to the back of the garage and opened a case against the back wall. When I had it plugged in, I asked, “Ready?”
Then Daniel started his intro. Soon after Chad came in, I did as well, playing a piece I had written weeks ago for the song. With Chad’s encouragement, I had written a rhythm part for every one of their songs. Phil’s were not my style. At that moment, I realized Chad planned to get me into the band all along.
“Damn!” Jay shouted when it had ended. “That was 10 times better.” He cringed and looked towards Phil who was pouting again. “Sorry, man. But she can wail.”
Phil exhaled loudly. “Yeah, I know, but you don’t gotta be so happy about it.”
We played several more songs, and they had the same reaction to them. I smiled when I realized they weren’t going to change their minds. I was really in a band. Finally!
“So…” Andy glanced at me, and then turned to Chad. “How’re we gonna work this out?” He looked my way again. “She’s a chick.”
Daniel tapped a stick on his thigh. “You finally noticed her big tits?” He chuckled as his eyes raked over my body. “They’re hard to miss.”
I blushed. I was used to guys fawning over me like Chad, Will and Phil did. Andy and Jay never treated m
e like most men did, though. Then it dawned on me that Andy may have changed his mind.
“I promise I’ll be a team player,” I assured him.
Andy sighed. “It’s not exactly that.” He seemed nervous. “Well, you’re a chick… and that means, uh, well…” He was obviously uncomfortable. After taking a deep breath, he blurted out, “Are you gonna be a bitch when you’re on the rag?”
“What the fuck, man?” Chad shouted.
Daniel stood. “Well, will she?”
“That’s pretty personal.” Chad moved towards me and put an arm around my shoulders. “How could you ask something like that?”
Jay put his bass on its stand. “I think we all have the right to know if it’ll be an issue.” He hesitated, as if he were walking on eggshells. “Don’t get pissed, Chad. We just need a heads-up.”
Chad growled, “She’s not gonna be a bitch!”
“Relax.” I placed a hand on his chest. “They don’t mean it like that.”
He glared at Andy and Jay alternately. “Yes, they do.”
I moved in front of him, preventing him from going after our bandmates. “Some girls get crazy.” I turned my head to see Andy. “I don’t get like that.”
Daniel tossed a stick up and caught it. “So if she starts bitching, Phil can play again.” He winked at me.
“Deal.” I knew it wouldn’t be an issue. Music meant too much to me.
Crystal's story Continues in:
Reckless
Sneak Peek: Insatiable Appetites
by Bella Jeanisse
Chapter I:The New Guy in Town
When Angela and Jennifer arrived at The Pier, it was loud and very crowded, like most clubs are. Jennifer had never been there before, but she’d heard a lot about it from the younger crowd at work. She was 35 and had stopped going to those sorts of places because the men were too young and immature. She was looking for a man, not a boy.
Angela, on the other hand, was practically a cougar. Most of the men she dated were between 25 and 30. She said they kept her young, and they had sexual stamina most men her age did not. Jennifer thought it helped Angela forget that 40 was just around the corner for her.
The girls found their way to a corner where there were tables, and the music was not as loud. They ordered drinks and watched the dancers. Angela shamelessly eyed a young man on the dance floor.
“So,” Angela began as she sipped her margarita. “What are we celebrating?”
Jennifer smiled widely. “Guess what came today?”
“You’re kidding?” Angela put her drink down and gave her friend her full attention. “He finally stopped fighting you?”
Jennifer smiled. “Yep. I threatened to tell his new girlfriend about his problem with getting it up sometimes.”
Angela had just taken a sip of her drink. Some flew out of her mouth as she laughed loudly. “You’re fucking kidding me!” She covered her mouth and laughed again. “Like the time when you tried a threesome?”
“Yeah. He was so intimidated by the size of the other guy’s dick, he didn’t take his underwear off.”
“At least you had a good time that night.” Angela tried to stop giggling. “It was the least Darren could do.”
Jennifer smiled as she recalled how his co-worker’s cock felt inside of her while he bent her over the bed. “He walked out of the room, humiliated by how fast I came. He could never give me that much pleasure.”
“I don’t know what you saw in him. I can’t stand a guy with only six inches.” Angela was definitely a size queen.
“Well, he was pretty good in bed, most of the time. It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m going to find someone who isn’t scared of kinky.”
“You go, girl.” Angela scanned the crowd hoping to find a man for Jennifer to bring home. She knew that was not how she normally operated, but she needed a good fuck. “How about I talk to a few of these handsome men and set you up with one?”
“I don’t know.” Jennifer thought of the man Angela told her had moved in across the street. Her description of him sounded perfect. “I was hoping to meet our new neighbor.”
Angela grabbed her hand. “Oh yeah, he’s right up your alley, Jen: cute ass, nice biceps, soft-spoken. Hmm, wait—maybe you can’t handle him. If only he was younger, I’d…”
Jennifer rolled her eyes. “What is he, 36?” Then she realized what her friend said. “Biceps, huh? I never dated someone who worked out before.” The house across from her had been empty for a long time until the week before. She had tried every day to see the new owner. “So, is he a blonde?”
“You haven’t seen him?” Angela squealed. “He’s got this wavy, sandy blonde hair almost to his shoulders. I saw him from my bedroom window this morning. Then I watched him early this afternoon haul boxes out of that truck in his driveway. I’d love to have a hold of that hair as he fucked me like crazy. Didn’t you see him?”
Jennifer thought about the truck that she saw several times that day. “I saw the truck, but no guy.” She had seen at least two people inside the house when she got the mail, but they were in shadow. She had changed her mind, thinking her neighbor was untouchable. “He might be married, you know. Forget about him. I wanna have fun tonight. How about I do things your style and pick up a nice young one?”
Angela laughed. “You take dating too seriously to go for a young guy.” She sipped her drink again and then scanned the men standing around. “You need to loosen up and just have fun. How about a one-night stand? That one is perfect for it.” She leered at the man’s tight pants, which showed off his nice ass and an impressive bulge in front. “Bet he’d be great in bed.”
She was right. Jennifer started thinking about marriage after two dates. Because of that, it had been six months since she had sex. None of her relationships since she left her ex lasted long enough. As she slowly finished her rum and coke, the idea of a fling sounded better, but a one-night stand? She was not sure she could pull that one off.
When both of them had finished a second drink, Angela took Jennifer by the hand and pulled her to the dance floor. They danced with each other for a few minutes, while Angela flirted with a boy who was barely 20. Looks of lust passed between them for a while.
Jennifer rolled her eyes, knowing how that night would be ending for the two of them. She wished she had just once felt that much sexual attraction to a man. Never had she wanted to hop in bed with someone she just met. It usually took her a lot of getting to know each other before she had that feeling within.
“You girls want some company?” his friend loudly asked them as the young one put an arm around Angela’s waist.
Angela smiled and giggled while accepting the younger one’s offered hand. They moved away a few feet and molded their bodies together as they moved to the fast music. Within seconds, their lips locked and hands traveled all over each other.
Jennifer looked up at his friend and shouted over the music, “Um, would you like to dance too?”
He gave her a wide smile, revealing dimples. “I’m not very good, but I try hard.” He winked and put a hand on her back. Then he led her to the other side of the dance floor. “I’m Glen.” He spun her around before pulling her back to him and held her close.
“Jennifer.”
She was not impressed. He was cute, but not her type. He looked too neat and put-together. He was the type she used to go for, just younger. She was hoping to find someone a little laid-back or spontaneous.
“So, do you live alone?” He was grinding his hips into hers. She could feel he was only average in the pants, something from which she also wanted to upgrade.
Jennifer did not even look up. “No,” she lied. “I have a male roommate.”
“Oh. I got a roommate too.” He put a hand on her ass and lifted her skirt a bit. “Maybe we could get a hotel room.”
She pried his hand off her ass. “I don’t think so.”
“Sorry. Too forward?”
“Yes.”
They danced for a
while longer, Glen coming on strong a few more times. She liked a confident man, but he was trying too hard, and it came off as cocky. She tried to think of a good reason to walk away, but none came to mind for a while.
“My feet are getting tired,” Jennifer said in his ear just before he leaned down to kiss her. She had to do something. “I’m gonna go sit down.”
Glen smiled. “OK. I’ll buy you a drink.”
“No, that’s OK.” She tugged her body from his. “I wanna be alone.” She felt bad lying, but had to. As she walked towards the tables, she turned to make sure he was not following, but he was.
“Hey, it’s just one drink, Jennifer,” Glen called after her. “I’m not gonna fuck you on the dance floor.” He liked her already and did not want to let her get away. As soon as he caught up with her, he grabbed her arm. “Just one, I promise.”
She tried to pull away, but he had a good grip. “Let me go,” she growled.
“Yeah, let the lady go.” Jennifer turned to see a tall, handsome, blonde-haired man behind her with his muscular arms folded over his chest. “She’s here with me.”
Glen backed away quickly. “Guess you’re the roommate, sorry.”
Jennifer just stood there, until he disappeared into the crowd.
“You OK?”
She turned again, meeting his ice-blue eyes. “Uh, yeah. I’m fine. Thanks.” She smiled as his blonde hair moved when he reached out his hand.
“I’m Matthew.” He was surprised when she clasped his hand firmly. Then he grinned, because he liked a strong woman. “Glad to play the hero today.” He sat back down at the table next to them and lifted his drink. “Would you let me buy you a drink, just to settle your nerves?”
Jennifer laughed. “Sure. That guy was not my type.”
“So what is your type?” His eyebrows went up, hoping she would answer. “Or is that too much to ask on a first date?” He laughed and smiled again.
“First date, huh?”
“Well, I saved you from an ass, so you owe me a date.”
“True, I do owe you. And a date is harmless, isn’t it?”